Fee-free TAFE is a joint initiative of the Australian and Tasmanian Governments, providing tuition-free* training places to students wanting to train, retrain or upskill.

The following Tasmanian residents are eligible for Tasmanian Government subsidised training:

• Australian citizens
• Permanent residents

And Tasmanian residents who have permission for work and study in Australia and:

• Are New Zealand citizens with a Special Category Visa
• Are holders of a temporary humanitarian visas
• Are Tasmanian State Sponsored skill migrant visa holders
• Are a dependent (aged over 18) or partner (spouse) visa holder of an eligible applicant.

All other visa holders are ineligible for subsidised training. This includes all bridging visa holders and Tasmanian State Sponsored business visa holders.

Applicants must also meet any specific entry requirements for individual courses.

First Nations Australians, young people (17-24), people out of work or receiving income support, unpaid carers, women facing economic insecurity, women undertaking study in non-traditional fields and people with a disability are encouraged to apply.

Note: People studying within the education system (up to Year 12), or undertaking a traineeship or apprenticeship are not eligible.

*Your tuition fees are covered; however you may need to cover costs such as textbooks, workbooks, uniform, online learning resources or personal protective clothing. Depending on your course, there may also be other expenses that you need to budget for.

Any additional fees will be identified in course specific information.

Places are limited and not guaranteed and applying early is recommended. The number of Fee-Free places on offer at TasTAFE are determined by the Australian and Tasmanian Governments.

• Be 18 or above at the course commencement
• Working With Vulnerable People card (Volunteer Status)
• National Police Check from Service Tasmania

• The application form can be downloaded online and submitted at any Service Tasmania centre.
• The cost of the check is $70.

• Pre-enrolment assessment

To support your success in the Certificate III in Community Services, students are required to complete a face-to-face pre-enrolment assessment on campus. This assessment helps us understand your current Language, Literacy, Numeracy, and Digital (LLN&D) skills. After the assessment, you’ll have a one-on-one conversation with one of our teachers to discuss the course structure, expectations and your readiness to begin. Your responses will help determine the next steps in your application.

We encourage you to consider if this is the right course for you by undertaking the Informed Choices Student Self-Assessment

The fee you pay at TasTAFE will depend on the course you choose and may vary depending on the level of government subsidy available, the cost of delivery, any previous study you have undertaken and/or your personal circumstances. Tuition fees for this course are available at the top of the page via the Fee Calculator.

Your tuition fees cover the basic materials needed for your course, but may not cover items such as text books, workbooks, uniform, online learning resources or personal protective clothing. Depending on your course, there may also be other expenses that you need to budget for.

For courses undertaken in 12 months or less, you will be invoiced the full course fee (including any other essential fees associated with your course).

*For courses studied over multiple years, your course and other fees will be split over the years of study, with the concession fee being charged on a yearly basis. At the time of enrolment you will be invoiced for the first year’s fees. An invoice will be raised in each subsequent year around the same time as your ‘enrolment anniversary’.

Further information on fees, payments and other costs.

Assessments are designed to help you demonstrate the skills and knowledge you learn in your course and are an essential part of your training. Assessments allow us to confirm that you can perform tasks to the standard required in the workplace, and that you can meet all of the requirements of your course.

While studying at TasTAFE, you may be assessed in a number of different ways. Common assessment methods for this course include: written questions, scenarios and performance tasks (projects, work tasks and observations of completing tasks in a simulated environment)

The following skills and attributes will be useful to students studying this course:

• Empathy and compassion – caring about the wellbeing of others.
• Patience – being able to remain calm and supportive in challenging situations.
• Respect for diversity – valuing people from different cultural, social, and personal backgrounds.
• Good communication – active listening, clear speaking, and using respectful language.
• Teamwork – collaborating effectively with peers, teachers, and other services.
• Time management and organisation – keeping track of tasks, appointments, and responsibilities.
• A good level of literacy and numeracy – for reading resources and completing paperwork and assessments
• Digital literacy – using email, and online platforms for communication and assessment submission
• Interest in learning and development – willingness to gain new knowledge and skills.

For this course, you will need:

• You MUST have access to a computer and internet.

On completion of this course, Community Services workers/volunteers must successfully meet the requirements of the following;

• A Tasmanian National Police Check

• A Working with Vulnerable People Card

On successful completion of this course you will receive a CHC32015 - Certificate III in Community Services.

Below is a list of all core and elective units that TasTAFE offers in this course. The selection of units you will be enrolled into depends on the campus you attend and the qualification packaging rules. For further information refer to training.gov.au.